Wrench



March .2, A, WESTMAN 2,312,947

WRENCH Filed June 9, 1941 INVENTOR Au@ sr A. WEST ,4N fdd c ATTORNEYS /QPatented Mar. 2, 1943 UNITED STATES PATENT oFFlo'E WRENCH v August A.Westman, Carnation, Wash.

Application June 9, 1941, Serial No. 397,199

1 Claim.

This invention relates to improvements in a wrench of the type commonlyreferred to as a vise-wrench wherein a pair of jaws are manually lockedin a closed position to securely and firmly grip an object.

It is well Aknown in the art that various types of swinging-jaw deviceshave been produced wherein the jaws may be brought to a closed positionand then, to function with a iixed jaw through the instrumentality ofvarious arrangements of pivoted linkage, lock so that they will securelyand immovably grip an object without the employment of a manual grippingpressure by an operator.

Many of these devices have operated satisfactorily to a degree but theyhave been characterized by undue amounts of wear because of theunnatural strain produced in the devices when they are employed bypersons who, although they may be skilled to a degree, are not consciousthat they may be imparting unnecessary strains upon the parts of thewrench.

It is an important object of my invention to produce a wrench havingjaws immovable with relation to each other by reason of a xed lever andarticulated lever arrangement wherein the locking means for the jaws andlever is wholly contained within a xed handle and voperable in a mannerto eliminate strains and stresses upon the operating parts thereof tothe end that a long and useful life of the tool will result.

Another object of the invention is to provide a novel and improvedwrench having a traveler pivot nut and a iixed rotatable feed screw forsaid nut which is adapted to .adjust and operate the xed and articulatedlever arrangements efficiently and practicably.

A further object of the invention consists in details of constructionand operation of the several parts of my improved wrench, wherebycertain important advantages may be obtained.

Other objects and advantages of the invention will be more apparentduring the course of the following description, wherein is set forth anddescribed a preferred embodiment of my invention.

In the drawing forming a part of this specification, and in which likereference numerals refer to like parts throughout the same,

Figure 1 is a longitudinal sectional view taken through the devicecomprising my wrench,

Figure 2 is a similar, fragmentary sectional view showing the jaws inthe open position,

Figure 3 is a cross-sectional view taken on line 3-3 of Figure 2,

Figure 4 is a fragmentary sectional view taken on lines 4-4 of Figure 2,l

Figure 5 is a perspective view of a link member employed in my wrench,

Figure 6 is a perspective view of a traveller pivot nut employed in mywrench,

Figure 'l is a perspective view of the swinging jaw of my wrench,

Figure 8 is a perspective view of the stationary lever. and jaw of myinvention, and

Figure 9 is a perspective view of the movable hand lever of my wrench.

The numeral III designates a channel member or handle of generallyU-shaped cross section having over-lapping lips I2, I2 formingtherebetween the slot I4.

'Ihe handle I0 may be tapered or shaped according to varying conditions.to be met to strengthen it where desired. In one end of the member I0 Imount the xed jaw I6 which is provided with teeth II on its inner face.The rivets I8 secure the jaw shank I9 in place. The shank I9 isbifurcated at 20 a width substantially equal to that of the slot I4 forthe reception of the tongue 22 of the movable jaw 24 which has teeth 25on its gripping face.

A pivot pin 26 passing through the bifurcated shaft I9 and the tongue 22permits swinging movnent of the jaw 24 with relation to the `iaw ,I

A traveler nut 28 having a general crosssectional size substantiallythat of the crosssection of the member I0 and is slidable therein. Nut28 also has an upstanding ear 29 through Vwhich the threaded bore oropening 33 is provided longitudinally of the member. The nut 28 slideslongitudinally in the member IIl and the screw 34 is threadedly engagedin the passage 32 to advance and retract the nut upon rotary motion ofthe screw.

A bearing block 36 fixed in the outer end of the handle by means of thepin 31 receives a reduced portion 38 of the screw 34 and journals it.When turning or rotary motion is applied to the screw by means of theknob 40 pinned thereto at 4I, the screw will merely rotate and notadvance or retract as is the case in many wrenches. The movable handlever 42 is generally U- shaped in cross-section and has pivot holes 43for the reception of pin 44 which engages in the pivot hole 45 of themovable jaw 24. The ears 43a provided with the opening 43 straddle thetongue of the movable jaw and make a very strong and yet simpleconnection therewith.

The handle 42 is provided with the interior.

stop, Thelinkllshowninl'lsurehasthe pivot hole Il at one end and thebifurcatcd ears Il at the'other end which areprovided with the pivotholes Il. A pivot pin I2 passes through the pivot holes Il of the handleand the pivot hole Il ofthe link to secure these twoelementstogether-and the bifurcated ears Il, Il of the y 1mi: stradale the 'earn of the nur n and .the pin toward the flxed handle as suggestedinFigure l.

the jaws will be brought close to the-object. It will often be foundnecessary to adjust the position ofthe traveler nut Il and its pivot Illon `gitudinally of the fixed handle so that the jaws canfbe broughtintothe clamping position. By clamping position is meant that position wherean operator needs no longer apply pressure in the manner of a pair ofpliers to the powerful grip manually but if-it is desired that thewrench be released in a tightened position asian-r y -m11 mamma it amtwisting motion imparted throughthe link 4I.v Thus with the traveiernut,2l having a nxed and nrm -mounting inthe handle I0, the end of thescrew Il cannot be distorted as is so often common with tlie otherldevices of the art. Thus also is eliminated undue strain and subsequentwear upon the journals of the screw Il and the outer end of the handlei0. By thus journaling the screw u in a fixed position within thehandle, the knob lll does not move lengthwise and is always closelyassocivfixed and movable handle. He can secure a very Y on an object andremain in that tightened p osition, certain adjustments must be made tothe parts. By maintaining pressure, usually through the tips of thefingers on the movable handle I2 and by moving the traveler nut one wayor the other usually toward the journalled end of the screw 34-this jawadjustment is made.

The object of the adjustment is to bring the pivots Il, 52, and 5I asnearly in line'as possible. When they are still slightly out of line, oras when the pivot 52 is -away from a straight line between the pivots Mand 5I; on the side away from the iixed handle Ill, the jaws areunclamped. At such times as the pivots are approximately in line aslight pressure will .force the pivot 52 inside of a line between pivots44 and Mythe jaws will be clamped to a pressure depending uponthe degreeof misalignment between the three pivots. l

VOi.' course lateral pressure is imparted to the traveler nut under suchcircumstances and it is within an important object ci my invention toprovide the traveler nut in the rectangular shape indicated in Figures 3and 6 so that it will be guided in` its sliding movement and so that theways on the inner faces of the fixed handle I0 of having said slot, amovable jaw hinged at one Y ated with the end of the handle so that the`length thereof does not vary according to the set of the-jaws. --Thiseliminates the possibility of the handle striking obstructionsv inswinging about an object when in use as a wrench or plier.

The foregoing description and the accompanying drawing are believed toclearly disclose a preferred embodiment of my invention but it will beunderstood that this disclosure is merely illustrative and that suchchanges in the invention may be made as are fairly within the scope andspirit of the following claim.

I claim:

A wrench, comprising: a fixed handle formed of a tubular member having aslot along one side thereof, a ilxed jaw secured to the forward end ofthe handle and projecting from the side thereend to said fixed handle soas to cooperate with said ilxed jaw to hold objects therebetween, amovable handle pivoted at one end to the mid portion of said movablejaw, said movable handle being shaped and adaptedto lie along side oisaid fixed handle and to move to and from said fixed handle, anadjusting block having a sliding fit with and lying on the inside ofsaid Yxerl handie. said block having a lug projecting through andadapted to slide along the slot in said iixed handle and said blockhaving a threaded opening therethrough and parallel to the longitudinalaxis of said handle, a threaded bolt engaged in said block andprojecting beyond therear end of said fixed handle with an adjustingknob on the rear end thereof, means for journaling and retaining saidbolt in said fixed handle against displacement therealong, and a linkbetween the lug on said-block and the forward portion of said movablehandle to form-therewith a toggle link between said block and saidmovable jaw.

AUGUST A.

